Free Trade and Protection

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 9, 2 July 1885, Page 3

Free Trade and Protection

The following extracts are from prosessional speeches of some of the Canterbury members. Mr Montgomery in his speech to his constituents at Akaroa said — One of the subjects that had lately caused consideration was whether they should support Protection. They really had protection, for there was an ad valorem duty imposed on imports of from 15 to 25 per cent., and no excise duty except on beer. Were it not for this protective duty he did not believe that our woollen, boot and shoe, or even soap and candle factories would be in existence. Free trade would be all right, as shown by political economists, if there were a universal brotherhood among nations, but there was not, but jealousy and national distrust ; and every nation tried to protect its industries but Great Britain, for if not their factories would be closed, because Great Britain had the coal and iron, and an accumulation of capital that enabled her to work more cheaply. In ten years he believed they would have a million of people in New Zealand, ► and in fifty years ten millions, and to give them employment native industries must be fostered. He only wished to foster those industries for which the colony was especially adapted. Mr White at Sydenham said — Kegarding Protection ho did not know whether he was a Protectionist or a Free trader. He was opposed to Protection being carried to such an extent that it amounted to prohibition. Protection meant increasing the prices of articles, but he saw no reason why a fair protective duty should not be placed on the articles manufactured ' here and taken off those we could not make. They might do this unless they decided to put a duty on for revenue purposes only. Mr O'Callaghan at Lincoln said — He thought local industries must be protected if the country were to be kept going at all, though he was a Free trader at heart. His action during the next session would be to encourage the manufacture of raw material within the country. This was not " Protection," but " Free trade." Mr W. C. Walker at Methvin expressed himself in favour of fostering industries by a system of bonuses, rather than increasing an already high tariff.